Various responses to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI

Very simply: I love the man and think him a great Pope, a great man, and a great saint. I hav nothing but gratitude to him and to God for giving him to us. I bless him on his way and I pray God give us a Holy Father far beyond our desserts out of the abundance of his mercy.

Benedict XVI is the sixth pope in my lifetime, and my personal favorite; he has been an exceptional Holy Father.

Joachim

I agree. Pope Benedict XVI made the most of the time given him.

The Next to Last Samurai

Yes, he did.

Let us take note: his successor can make both religious and secular history by becoming the first pope to take the papal name of Bubba.

ivan_the_mad

He is a great man. Caritas in Veritate was the first encyclical I read, found at a Goodwill. BXVI’s work proved the impetus to begin to leave the cafeteria and enter the Church.

It’s hard not to love this Pope.

Jay

It’s to be expected that the new Archbishop of Canterbury would make a statement. But it’s also such a relief for this lapsing Episcopalian that -so far – the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori has kept her mouth shut.

bob

Does anyone want to read anything an Anglican says about him?? He has more marbles at 85 than the assembly of Anglican prelates and clergy combined. In a world of lip-synching personalities, what a rare man. I’m an Orthodox layman. Any Orthodox would love his Nativity sermon, if you missed it you missed a good one. I read what he said in resigning (in Latin no less) and try to imagine Rowan Williams or Mrs. Schori trying to order a soft boiled egg. Many years to him!

Rosemarie

+J.M.J+

I love Benedict the XVI and think he did a fine job as pope. I’m sure he put a lot of prayer and thought into this decision so I respect it. Since I’m not 85 years old in poor health, I don’t think I’d have a right to judge him on that even if I wanted to.

So he wasn’t exactly John Paul II? No kidding. And John Paul II wasn’t John Paul I, who wasn’t Paul VI, who wasn’t John XXIII, who wasn’t Pius XII… etc. etc. And I’m not you and you’re not me and… you get the point. We’re all individuals and yet God the Holy Spirit still manages to work through each individual occupant of the See of St. Peter.

So some people are disappointed in his pontificate? Maybe we set the standards too high. God’s opinion of his pontificate is the only one that really matters, and we’re not exactly privy to that information.

And like I said before, the bright side to all this is that he doesn’t have to die before the next conclave. Usually we go through the shock and mourning of losing the Holy Father before we see the white smoke and hear the Habemus Papam. This time we may not have to. I see that as a positive thing.

Benedict XVI is the greatest theologian ever to occupy the chair of St. Peter, and that speaks volumes.

Andy

I will miss his “liberal” and “conservative” views – he gave me much to ponder and much to treasure. I have no idea how his pontificate will be viewed in history, but to have seen it was exciting and a blessing in so many ways.